Two UH Manoa students are finalists in prestigious Truman Scholarship competition

UH Manoa juniors Johnathan Cheng and Eli Tsukayama are back on campus from a visit to San Francisco earlier this month for finalist interviews in the Truman Scholarship competition. It‘s the first time UH Manoa has qualified anyone for the finals since 1999.

"The scholarship program is highly competitive," said Ruth Bingham, UHM Arts and Sciences academic advisor and coordinator for the Truman application process. "The fact that we have two students this year is quite an honor in itself, and we are very pleased that their academic excellence and leadership qualities have been recognized."

The Harry S Truman Scholarships, established to honor the 33rd US President, are awarded to university juniors on the basis of merit and to recognize outstanding potential for leadership in public service and in setting public policy. The awards are for $30,000 to be used primarily for graduate study.

Johnathan Cheng is working toward a BS in chemistry. His work has been in the bioremediation of pollution and his policy proposal addressed the state‘s over-dependence on fossil fuels.

Eli Tsukayama has focused on learning motivation, with a policy proposal for the scholarship competition about teaching meta-cognitive skills to nurture independent learners. Eli expects to receive a BA in psychology.